The invention relates to a debris collecting apparatus for use with ceiling cutting equipment for collecting debris removed from the ceiling during a cutting operation.
Ceiling cutting device are frequently used by electricians and others tradesman for cutting an opening in a ceiling of a building structure. Devices of this type are often times referred to as xe2x80x9chole sawsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9chole cuttersxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cround hole cuttersxe2x80x9d. Container lights, also known as xe2x80x9cHi-Hatxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccan lightsxe2x80x9d are frequently mounted within these openings formed in a ceiling. In many cases, these lights are referred simply to as recessed light fixtures. In recent years the modern look of these so called recessed lights has become so popular and many business organizations and owners of dwelling structures are removing existing conventional lighting devices and installing these recessed lights.
In order to install the recessed light device, in an existing sheet-rocked ceiling, it is necessary to form this enlarged opening in the ceiling for receiving the recessed light fixture. In many cases however, the area beneath the ceiling in which the recessed lights are to be installed may contain furniture and other equipment and appliances. Unless all of such furniture and equipment is removed, debris from the ceiling cutting operation may fall upon and damage the furniture or otherwise fall into the cause malfunctions of, if not completely destroy other equipment or appliances in the region of the cutting. In addition, the abrasiveness of the dust from some sheetrock can scratch furniture as it is dusted.
In order to preclude the soiling of furniture or other equipment and even more importantly, the damaging of other furniture and other equipment it is usually necessary to first move the furniture or other equipment and appliances in order to avoid this potential soiling damage. The act of moving the furniture and other equipment certainly presents a risk of damaging equipment or furniture. This is particularly true in the cases of computer equipment in the area where ceiling cutting operations may be present.
In many cases and in order to avoid the potential damage resulting from moving, the electrician or the other personnel will attempt to cover the equipment with xe2x80x98drop clothsxe2x80x99. However, even this covering operation can result in damage to the equipment and is not necessarily effective in precluding damage from large ceiling pieces which often fall as they are being removed.
In addition to the foregoing it may be appreciated that removal or moving of equipment, appliances, and furniture is not only time consuming but adds additional labor cost to an entire operation as well. Furthermore the attendant risk of damage to furniture and equipment necessarily increases the cost of the installation to the average user. As a result it would be desirable to avoid the necessity if moving or covering furniture or other equipment located beneath or in proximity to a region where a ceiling cutting operation may take place, while protecting such furniture and equipment from the cutting operation.
Heretofore there has not been any effective apparatus for collecting debris which result from the cutting of a hole in the ceiling or the removal of the material from that ceiling. Part of the problem in designing and constructing any such debris collecting apparatus lies in the fact that the position of the cutting blade operated by that equipment continuously penetrates the ceiling structure. Consequently, it is necessary to ensure that any shield other debris collecting member is capable of remaining in fixed engagement with the ceiling during an entire cutting operation.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.
It is an object of the invention to produce a debris collecting apparatus which is useful with ceiling cutting equipment and capable of collecting debris resulting from the cutting of a ceiling. In another aspect the present invention relates to an assembly capable of cutting an opening in a ceiling or removing material from the ceiling and also collecting all of the debris resulting from the cutting of an opening or removal of material from a ceiling. It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a debris collecting apparatus for use with ceiling cutting equipment and which allows for an almost complete collection of any debris removed from a ceiling during the cutting of material removing operation.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an assembly of ceiling cutting equipment having a debris collecting apparatus associated therewith for enabling the cutting of a ceiling and the efficient collecting of material removed from the ceiling. Accordingly, the present invention has a basket, which extends concentric with the cutting saw to collect debris which falls therearound.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a debris collecting apparatus if the type states which efficiently and constantly remains in contact with the ceiling structure during a cutting operation and which thereby ensue an optimum collection of any debris resulting from a cutting operation.
It is another object if the present invention to provide a debris collecting apparatus of the type which allows for shiftable movement of a debris collecting shield with respect to a ceiling structure as a cutting elements penetrate the ceiling structure. Accordingly, the invention has a shield or basket adapted for abutting engagement with a downwardly presented surface of a ceiling. The debris collecting apparatus also comprises means for facilitating and compensating the shiftable position of the ceiling cutting equipment as a cutting blade pierces the ceiling structure and which thereby allows the debris collecting shield to constantly remain in contact with the ceiling structure and thereby collects substantially all debris removed therefrom.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a debris collecting apparatus of the type states which is capable of being used with a wide variety if different types and sizes of ceiling cutting equipment. Accordingly, the invention is adaptable for use with a wide variety of power cutting tools and hole cutting saws.
In more detail, the debris collecting apparatus of the invention comprises a debris collecting basket having a base wall located to receive a rotating shaft driven by ceiling cutting equipment and this base is operatively mounted with respect to the rotating shaft. An enclosing cylindrical side wall of the basket is mounted on this base wall and receives a cutting blade mounted with respect to and operable by the rotatable shaft. The cutting blade extends axially through the basket and out through an open upper end of the basket for piecing into the ceiling structure. The open upper end of the basket is engaged in a flush engagement with the ceiling to collect debris from the cutting operation. An upper peripheral edge seal of the enclosing side wall engages the ceiling surface and forms a chamber to receive the cutting blade which pierces the ceiling. The cutting blade is actually mounted in an arbor and the side wall of the debris collecting basket is adapted to extend above the arbor.
In this latter embodiment of the invention, the debris collecting apparatus comprises a compensating mechanism for shifting the enclosing shield upwardly into constant engagement with the ceiling structure as there is relative movement of the cutting equipment with respect to the debris collecting shield. In this case, the compensating mechanism which provides that compensation includes a collar holding a cylindrically shaped tube which holds a spring-like mechanism causing a spring biasing movement of the shield upwardly into fixed engagement with the ceiling structure, regardless of the potion of the ceiling cutting equipment. Thus, and in effect, there is a relative movement between the debris collecting shield and the compensating mechanism with respect to the position of the cutting blade and the ceiling cutting equipment.
In more specific detail, the position compensating mechanism comprises an outer tubular housing having a spring capable of bearing against guides located within the housing and one of theses guides bears against a shiftable bearing. The other of the guides bears against a collar flange on the underside of the shield. Moreover, a bearing is also provided at the other end of the tubular housing to allow the shaft to rotate and to also shift axially with respect thereto.
This invention possesses many other advantages and has other purposes, which will become more fully apparent from a consideration of the forms in which it may be embodied. A practical embodiment of the debris collecting apparatus, as well as the assembly of the debris collecting apparatus and the ceiling cutting equipment, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in further detail in the following detailed description of the invention. To the accomplishment of the above and related objects the invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Attention is called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only. Variations are contemplated as being part of the invention, limited only by the scope of the claims.